Reported campus sexual assaults have been on the rise at Miami University, according to documents published yearly.
The Campus Security Report released by the university reveals seven campus, three non-campus and one public property sex offenses were filed to the university in 2008.
The Campus Security Act is required to be published yearly on Oct. 1 by order of the Department of Education under the Jeanne Clery Act of 1990 at any institution of higher learning that receives federal funding. If the university does not accurately disclose information to the public they could be fined up to $27,500 for each inaccuracy. The Campus Security Report at Miami is a compilation of reports filed to the police and reports filed to various offices at the university, according to Nicole Hall, coordinator of sexual assault prevention.
On-campus sex offense reports have nearly doubled since 2006, according to the Campus Security Act reports.
In 2006, Miami had a total of four campus reported sex offenses. In 2008, the university had seven.
Non-campus sexual offenses include areas such as fraternity houses or other buildings leased by the university for education purposes, according to Lori Minges, assistant to Miami University Police Department (MUPD) Chief John McCandless. Miami had three in 2008.
These non-campus sexual offenses are typically reported via the Oxford Police Department (OPD). The numbers from 2009 have not yet been released but have been reported to MUPD, according to Hall. However, incident reports filed with MUPD state four sexual offenses were reported in 2009. These numbers do not include sexual offenses that were reported to other outlets, including the OPD and sexual assault prevention and education.
Hall said the steady climb in numbers could be attributed to the presence of her sexual assault education and prevention program August 2007.
"I come on campus and am doing a lot more events, awareness and presentations out in the college," Hall said. "As my name gets out there more and as my program becomes more and more identifiable people become more comfortable with coming to talk to me and share what happened to them. You can look at those numbers and say ‘oh my goodness it's getting worse' or you can say now the victims are coming forward because they have a place to come forward to."
The Campus Security Act is a compilation of reports filed to the police and reports filed to various offices at the university, Hall said. She encourages victims to allow her to report crimes to the police.
"Everything I report to the police is anonymous," Hall said. "If they come to me and say they were raped last fall, I would encourage that person to report that to the police and give them benefits but it's still her or his choice to the report."
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Hall then turns over reports, with the victim's permission to the police. She turned in 2009 reports this January.
"At the end of the year, I write up and give the police department a narrative of what happened, maybe date, place and a narrative," Hall said. "Those are the statistics Miami is required to produce."
In 2008, only four on-campus sex offenses were filed through the MUPD police incident report but a total of seven on-campus sex offenses occurred, leaving three that were reported through other methods, like Hall's.
So far, in 2009 three on-campus sexual assaults were filed through the MUPD incident reporting. Numbers could change when the Campus Security Act is published October 2010. Minges said there are many outlets a student may report sexual assaults other than the police. All of these factor into the Campus Security Act findings. "On-campus our agency itself (has a number of) individuals that we recognize as the campus security authorities," Minges said. "Ethics and students conflict resolution, any of the residence staff, dean of students, advisers to student organizations, VP of student affairs, head athletic coaches and director of the women's center."
Minges said she believes reporting has increased with the rise of sexual assault education on campus.
"Since Nicole came on board, individuals are more comfortable in talking and knowing she's there in that position," Minges said. "It's a way for them to get the statistics counted."
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